Equestria Girls: Battle of the Bands

Chapter One

At Canterlot High, in the alternate Equestria beyond the portal, the school was bustling with activity. The school was holding a musical showcase this year, and many of the students had joined up together, forming several bands to raise money for the after-school programs held for them. It was a great idea, especially for the humans of the Mane Six as they formed a band of their own, calling themselves the Rainbooms. Although, something strange had happened to them whenever they played music, and none of them, not even Sunset, could figure out what was going on.

The former bully of CHS breathed a sigh of relief, leaning against the lockers in the hall after cleaning them. Other students passed by her, though they didn't trust her that much after she swore to change her ways, and doing good deeds to make up for all the damage she had done, both terrorizing the student body and causing collateral damage to the school, didn't seem to help much. The only ones who did care were Principal Thea, Vice-Principal Luna, Rarity, Applejack, Pinkie, Flutters, and Dash.

Sunset pulled out her phone and scrolled through the pictures she was given. These pictures were kept in a certain file, where the only girl friends she had were seen in each photo, only with something strange that baffled her and the others. Before they formed the Rainbooms, each girl held an instrument, but they also transformed like they had with Twilight overtaking the magic from the Element of Magic to unleash the Elements of Harmony.

They had the long ears and tail extension from their hair, and their skin changed to more pony colors, along with their appropriate appendages if they weren't earth ponies: Dash rocking out on a blue guitar with a red neck, flying in the air with her wings in a music store, Applejack playing a red and orange bass in a pawn shop run by Flim and Flam's human counterparts, Flutters shaking a tambourine, entrancing hundreds of hamsters in the animal shelter she volunteers at with a pair of wings on her back, Pinkie going crazy on a drumset, and Rarity playing a keytar in front of three disturbingly looking teenage boys, a white aura horn jutting out from her forehead.

No matter how much she tried to figure out how her friends playing music brought out their Equestrian magic, Sunset just couldn't find the answer. She stowed the pictures away and put her phone back in her pocket, making her way down the halls to the gymnasium.

Inside, several students in the bands that would be playing were working on their banners to show off their band's style of performance. A stage had been set up with speakers, mic stands, and a drum set all prepared for the showcase. Sunset wandered around, hoping some of them would want some help with their banners since she wasn't a part of any band, not even the Rainbooms. She didn't want to tarnish the five girls' reputation, though they also didn't ask if she could play an instrument or sing.

Sunset walked over to Blossom, Sarah, and Scoots, the human counterparts of the Cutie Mark Crusaders, seeing they were struggling with a creative design for their banner. "Hey, girls. You need any help?"

The three human Crusaders flinched when they heard Sunset, not wanting any assistance from the former school bully. "Uhh, no thanks. We're good."

"Yeah, we've got it," Scoots said while Sarah nodded.

"Oh...Well, ok then." Sunset dejectedly stepped away as the three girls went back to work.

"Sunset!" She looked over across the gym to see the only girls who gave her a chance at friendship, Pinkie calling out and waving to her while the others finished up a poster for the showcase. "Over here!"

Sunset made her way over to them, getting dirty looks from the rest of the students. She grimaced as she heard some of them whispering, probably about her and her past she wanted to be rid of. It had been a while since the events of the Fall Formal, and yet the moment still haunted her. She was still terrified of the evil person she had become, if she hadn't been a monster back then, she never would have become one. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't erase the images from her mind.